Bubblicious
by Pheo
Summary: Response to the weekly Improv Challenge at the Unbound Forums. First and last lines provided with a maximum of 1,000 words inbetween. GSR Fluff: You have been warned!


Bubblicious

by Pheo

2.7.05

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Summary**: Response to the weekly Improv Challenge at the Unbound forums. First and last lines are provided, with a maximum of 1,000 lines in-between. GSR. Pretty fluffy; you are warned!

**Spoilers**: Takes place after _Nesting Dolls_.

**Rating**: PG-13, my lovely safety net

"Okay, I may be missing something, but... what's with the bubble wrap?"

Sara glanced at her kit, where a corner of the object in question was poking out. She frowned, carrying on with her dusting. "In case we get something breakable to take in. Saw it on Forensic Files."

Nick gave a good, old-fashioned Texas whoop. "Oh, I believe that one!"

She rolled her eyes, holding the jar of print powder toward him so he could take a sweep. "Well, Nick, if you must know, it's so I can have some sort of stress release after working with you."

He clutched at his chest, mockingly crying out, "I've been wounded!"

She continued to work her prints, nonplussed. He stopped howling and stared at her.

"Sara, I doubt you'd need a stress release lately. You seem to be releasing it whenever it presents itself."

She whirled around with angry eyes. It was her first case back after her suspension, but they had already spoken about the situation over beers two days earlier. "I don't believe you, Nick!"

He backed away, holding his hands up defensively. "Hey, I think it's healthy. Any one of us would'a loved to tell Ecklie off like you did. I think it was gutsy. Stupid, maybe, but gutsy. You've got a bona fide set of cajones, darlin'."

He made as if to bow to her and she laughed, letting him get away with his "stupid" comment for the time being. Satisfied, they both returned to the job at hand.

Picking up their kits to return to the lab, Nick glanced down at the bubble wrap hanging out of Sara's kit. She deftly stole the kit back and tucked it back in, causing one bubble to pop. As it did, she gave a little shiver, accompanied by a smirk, and she shoved the kit happily into her passenger seat.

Nick shook his head, puzzled, as she gave him a little wave as she pulled out.

"Sidle." Sara picked up her phone on its first ring. "Yeah, but Nick called me on it. I was going to keep it at home but I thought it would be good in case something happened again."

She listened for a few moments, biting her lip, and then said, "Yes. I think so too. Thanks, Griss."

Another beat, then a smile. "Sure, that sounds great. I'll see you when I get back."

Pulling into the parking lot, she was surprised to see Catherine waiting for her. The blonde had her arms crossed, and as soon as Sara was out of her car, the older CSI pounced on her.

"You got off so lucky, you know that, don't you?"

Sara crossed her own arms, prepared to make a counter-attack, but instead focused on little plastic bubbles.

"Well? Do you like being Grissom's pet? What do you have to say for youself?" Catherine was seething, and she was even more angry as Sara stood there and shrugged, completely calm.

Her "superior"stared at her for a moment before striding off in a huff, and Sara unclenched and clenched her fists again. Dying to call out a few expletives after Catherine, she instead trudged back to her car, yanked out the bubble wrap, and proceeded to pop.

She imagined each pop being something _she'd_ said or did and got away with. Pop! Catherine leaking a case's information and causing a senseless death. Pop! Catherine testing her DNA with a suspect's and causing the evidence to be thrown out. Pop! Catherine getting a urine sample without a warrant. Pop! Catherine blowing up the lab. Pop! Catherine getting promoted.

With each situation, she imagined something popping _at_ the new supervisor: a paint ball, an egg, various fruits. Gleefully, she popped a bunch at once, and in a spurt of hyperactivity she tossed the wrap into the floor of her car and proceeded to popopopopop the plastic with her knees, feet, elbows, and anything else that would work.

Grissom stood outside, watching with a slight smile as Sara laughed and laughed. His version of "taking care of it" had been a good idea after all. All he could hear were sporadic pops and his Sara laughing, and he'd never heard anything more beautiful in his life.

He cleared his throat, feeling like an intruder in her moment of release. "So, pancakes?"

She abruptly stopped, slowly looking up as a blush crept over her features. "Ah-"

He gave a grin as he reached over and popped a bubble himself, and she felt giddy again just with the noise. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Pancakes it is. But one more minute-"

She laughed as she threw herself to the floor again.


End file.
